Explain why some rebellions presented a greater danger than others Flashcards
Why did some rebellions present a greater danger than others.
Aim and objectives Leadership/organisation Location Size Support Duration
Leadership/organisation
• Rebellions with effective leadership naturally possibly posed a greater challenge
E.g. Kett, Tyrone and Aske in PoG.
• Poor leadership - not strong/ organised/ effective - contributed to the lack of threat posed.
E.g. Steer, Warbeck or Bigod.
• Presented less of a threat if leadership lacked elite support.
E.g. Lack of established nobles/ clergy in Cornish 1497 or Oxfordshire 1596.
- Lack of elite support also meant that the rebellion failed to attract economic, military or international help.
• As the period advanced, can be argues that rebellions became less of a threat as the Tudor nobility became less inclined to indulge in treasonous activities.
- Although, when rebel leaders came from the gentry, lawyers or clergy could also pose a significant threat e.g. Lincolnshire & PoG large number of county gentry - arguably most threatening rebellion.
- Similarly Kett, a minor landowner, assumed control in Norfolk.
Location
• Rebellions closer to London achieved more.
E.g. Cornish 1497, Amicable Grant 1525
- Although, London stayed consistently loyal to the monarch.
E.g. In Northumberland 1553 and Essex 1601 rebellions, London stayed loyal to Mary and Elizabeth
• Distance from London displaced the problem in the minds of the Govt. e.g. Yorkshire 1489, Kett’s 1549, Northern Earls 1569.
• Location also limited the chance of success. The more remote the rebellion and the more regionalist the demands, the less likely the rebellion would gain popular support in other areas and spread.
E.g. Cumberland, Western 1549.
Essex 1601 only example of attempt to broaden appeal.
• Important of location in terms of threat posed exemplified in Irish rebellions - could go on for some time e.g. O’Neill 1558-1567, Tyrone 1596-1603 but were not a direct challenge to the regime because of the distance from London.
Size
• Small rebellions failed to get noticed and so failed to achieve aims and pose any significant threat.
E.g. Oxfordshire 1596
• Some rebellions raised forces larger than the government and so posed a grater threat as they could not be easily dispersed.
E.g. Cornish 1497, Amicable Grant 1525, PoG 1536, Western 1549, Kett 1549, and Northern Earls 1568-70.
• Notable that 1536 and 1549 rebellions were far larger than those facing Henry VII, not necessarily greater threat.
• Some rebellions posed a threat due to their size but not to the monarch themselves but to an advisor or policy. Size of rebellion forced monarch to reverse policy…
E.g. Taxation in Yorkshire 1489, Cornish 1497, amicable grant 1525.
• Some rebellions were smaller and raised fewer troops but still posed considerable threat.
E.g. Simnel - support of several English and Irish nobles,
Warbeck - support of foreign rulers.
Support
• Domestic support - did those with noble support present greater danger?
• Without noble support posed less threat as rebellion more likely to fail.
E.g. Lovell & Stafford’s 1486 unable to get enough support from their retainers before Henry suppressed their conspiracies.
• Foreign support - did foreign support mean that rebellions posed a greater danger?
• Importance of foreign support e.g. Essex 1601, had more noble support than any other rebellion but without external help, posed little threat and resulted in failure.
• Foreign support contributed more to the threat of rebellion at the beginning of the reign - dynastic rebellions when foreign rulers were prepared to support rebellion for power play in Europe.
E.g. Simnel 1487 - Irish mercenaries alienated the English
Warbeck 1490s - Margaret of Burgundy failed to make significant impact.
Tyrone 1595-1603 - Foreign support ineffective.
Duration
• Did longer rebellions pose a greater threat?
• No necessarily – often rebels went home after a certain period of time. Duration doesn’t necessarily mean great threat.
E.g. Cornwall 1497, Warbeck 1490s, Tyrone 1595-1603 lasted a long time but this wasn’t a direct challenge to the Tudors in England.
Aim and objectives
• If rebellions lacked cohesion and unity of purpose they posed less of a threat.
• Rebellions that were political in their causes and dynastic in their aims posed a greater threat as aimed to overthrow the monarch.
E.g. Lovell 1486, Simnel 1487, Warbeck 1490s, Northumberland 1553.
• In particular Simnel’s posed a greater danger as his rebellion engaged the monarch in battle - the Tudor reign could have ended at Stoke.
• Rebellions with economic & in particular taxation grievances stood a greater chance of success e.g. Yorkshire 1489, Cornish 1497 and Amicable Grant 1525.
• What was most commonly endangered was not the life of the monarch but the career of a minister E.g Amicable Grant 1525 - Wolsey.
• Religious rebellions were largely unsuccessful and rarely posed a severe threat to the monarch but to the following succession.
